by Rye Hart
How is it possible for a man to have so many hot friends? It should be illegal. Jude's side of the wedding party's table looked like it had been made up of Calvin Klein models. My mother's side, on the other hand, was filled by me and a bunch of cougars, all of them eyeing up the groomsmen like I was. Especially since that side of the table also had more combined wealth than some small European countries.
I missed most of Dominic's speech, but caught the very end. The punchline to it all, I guess.
“And Sandra left him alone from that day forward, assuming he was dating one of us. Not that I could blame her, I mean, we are a handsome bunch, aren't we?”
Dominic winked at me again as he started to wrap up his story, that boyish smile sending a flutter through my heart.
“Anyway,” he said. “The moral of this story, besides embarrassing the groom – which I hope I've done well enough – is that Lydia has nothing to worry about. Had he not loved you, and I mean one hundred percent loved you, he would have found a way to get out of this wedding. Which probably would have included one of us up here having to pretend to date him again. Thankfully, he fell in love with you though.”
Ouch. I knew it was a joke, but that sounded a little harsh. Still, I stifled a laugh, though inside of me, there was a pit of jealousy low in my belly.
“And he would have had his three best friends to help him. No matter what, Jude, we've got your back,” Dominic said. “I'm gonna miss the wild, raucous times though, man. I'm not gonna lie. But, I – and the rest of us – are happy that you're happy.”
The room exploded in applause and cheers as Dominic took a bow. My ears perked up though. Jude wasn't known as the Playboy type. Not too much at least. For the most part, he seemed to keep to himself. There was always a bit of a mystery about him. He didn't date, didn't party, there were no great scandals that rocked the tabloids. The idea that he and his friends had wild, raucous times intrigued me more than it should have.
I glanced over at Jude, and again, he caught me staring. Neither one of us looked away this time though. His gaze burned into me and felt like it set something on fire within me.
He had to know who I was. Even though we hadn't had a chance to talk yet, he had to know I was his new wife's daughter, right? Mom told him about me, hadn't she? I had to think she did because of the way he stared at me. There was a curious spark in his eyes, almost as if he was trying to figure me out. There was something in his eyes though, that was a little more than just curious. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
Of course, I was trying to read him too, so perhaps that was all it was.
As soon as the toasts were thankfully and mercifully over, and the traditional dances were out of the way, Talia rushed over to me and grabbed my hand.
“Come on, bestie!” she squealed. “First dance is with me.”
“Ugh, moving in this gown is going to be a pain in my ass,” I groaned, downing another glass of champagne before I hit the dance floor.
“I bet, it's pretty form fitting,” Talia said. “But you look hot, and with the number of gorgeous guys here tonight, I think it'll work in your favor.”
“Yeah, well, who knows if any of them are single,” I laughed.
My aunt, Janice, was already all over Dominic, her hand resting on his chest as she gazed into his eyes seductively. My mom's best friend – and Talia's mother – was talking to Zane, a flirtatious look upon her face.
Talia laughed. “Mom's divorce isn't even final, sheesh,” she said, shaking her head. “These women – am I right? They're trying to poach all these hot, available men from us.”
“Nathanial looks lonely over there,” I said, eyeing up the auburn-haired man.
He caught me staring and shot me an enigmatic smile. I smiled back and turned to Talia.
“Heh. Technically so does the groom,” Talia said.
Jude towered over every man in attendance at the wedding, both in height and status. A virtual celebrity of sorts – at least of the local variety. He stood apart from the crowd, sipping his scotch, watching the party going on around him. My mother was nowhere to be seen, and my eyes kept drifting over to him. I was still finding it difficult to believe that he was my stepfather now.
How my mother managed to snag someone like him, I'd never know.
Not that she could have known, but Jude had long been a crush of mine. Hair the color of fine, aged whiskey, and eyes only a shade or two lighter. He was broad shouldered, dominant, yet strangely enough, seemed somehow introverted. Everything about him oozed sex appeal, from the tailored and expensive suits to his chiseled face that was somehow both hardened, yet gentle, thanks to the softness in his eyes and lips.
His eyes scanned the crowd as if he was looking for someone. His arms were crossed in front of him, his glass of scotch hanging loosely in one hand, and he wasn't even smiling. At his own wedding, there was no reason for a man to look so lonely.
Sighing, I said, “Maybe I should finally introduce myself.”
“You mean you haven't met him yet?”
I shook my head. “No, I was away at school during their little whirlwind romance,” I said. “Just flew in this morning and it was too hectic.”
Talia nudged me, her smile wide, her tone teasing. “Then go say hi to your new stepdad.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Please don't call him that. He's like – almost my age.”
“Nah, he's got a good decade on you,” Talia said.
“Still closer in age to me than my mother,” I said under my breath. “And if I'm being honest, it feels so weird to have a stepdad as young and handsome as him.”
Talia cocked an eyebrow and grinned at me. “Handsome, eh?”
“Come on, he's hot. You and I both know it. Hell, everyone in Chicago knows it. Stop trying to pretend you haven't noticed just to make me feel weirder than I already do,” I said and laughed. “And he's my stepdad. How fucking bizarre is that?”
“Plenty bizarre,” she said. “But, it's time for you to put on your big girl panties and go introduce yourself to the man.”
I sighed dramatically. “Fine.”
I grabbed another glass of champagne from a nearby tray – a little extra fortification never hurt – and walked over to join Jude, where he was leaning against the wall. When he saw me walking toward him, he stopped looking so serious and smiled at me. His smile seemed to light up the room and set my heart fluttering, I swear.
Before I even had a chance to speak, he said, “So you're the mysterious Ember I keep hearing about,” he said. “I was beginning to think you were like Bigfoot – lots of people talking about you, but impossible to prove your existence.”
“Oh, so you do know who I am?” I teased.
“Of course I do. You're my stepdaughter,” he said.
His smile wavered though, and that word sounded a little painful even for him. Still, he held himself together nicely.
“Your mom has told me so much about you,” he said.
I leaned against the wall, mirroring his position and stared out at the dance floor, trying to keep myself in check. Mom was in the center of a circle, surrounded by her sisters and friends, obviously drunk as a college frat boy, dancing her ass off, acting the fool. I can't help but feel a little embarrassed for her.
“Hopefully you didn't believe everything she said about me,” I muttered, sipping my champagne. “Because I'm not so bad as my mother makes me out to be.”
Jude side-eyed me, a lop-sided grin on his face. “Come on, she told me all kinds of good things about you.”
“Oh? Like what?” I said, turning to face him, head cocked to the side as I waited for an answer.
“Well, she said you're feisty –”
“Are those her words? Or are you paraphrasing to make her sound nicer? Because truthfully, I've never heard my mom call me feisty. Bitchy, maybe. Feisty, no.”
Jude mirrored me this time, turning to face me. We both leaned against the wall, but we were facing each other inst
ead of the dance floor. His eyes were intense and bored into mine as if he could see into me, and learn my deepest, darkest secrets.
“Okay, maybe she didn't use those exact words, but your mother clearly loves you, Ember,” he says.
His smile wavered for a moment. Not because I thought he was lying, but because of something else. Something I couldn't quite place.
“I'm sure she does, But, our relationship is a bit strained, to say the least,” I say. “But enough about me. How did you and my mother meet exactly?”
“She hasn't told you?”
“No, she rarely tells me these things,” I said, swirling the champagne around in my glass. “I honestly didn't know the two of you were an item until she told me you were getting married, and that I'd need to cancel my summer plans to be here.”
“I'm sorry to ruin your plans, Ember,” he said. “Hopefully we can have a nice summer anyway.”
“You didn't answer my question,” I said, staring at his serious face.
“Oh, about how I met your mom?” he asked. “She happened to be seated next to me at a charitable event, and we hit it off.”
“Was this the one for dying kids or homeless vets?” I asked. “Because my mom goes to a lot of charitable events.”
Mostly to meet men like Jude, but I kept that part to myself.
He cracked a smile at me. “The one for childhood cancer, yes.”
“Ahh, yes, my aunt Janice works for the organization,” I said.
No wonder my mom got prime seating next to the man of the hour. Them meeting was not a coincidence, no way in hell. But, I wasn't about to tell Jude that.
“I've heard you give a lot to charity,” I say. “That you're a very philanthropic man.”
“I try,” he said, shrugging. “Especially childhood cancer. My brother died when I was ten. Leukemia. Made an impression on me.”
“Oh God, I didn't know,” I said. “I'm sorry to hear that.”
I covered my mouth, feeling like a real asshole for how flippantly I'd referred to the organization earlier. Jude shrugged, and stared down at his drink for a moment. His face looked serious and distant.
“I – I'm sorry. I should probably get back to the party,” I said, pushing away from the wall.
Jude reached out and took my hand, and the electricity in that touch was palpable. I gasped, not sure what was happening at first, my head spinning and awash in sensation. But, then he shook my hand and gave me a small smile.
“It's nice to finally meet you, Ember,” he said and sounded sincere. “I hope we can come together as a family.”
“Me too,” I managed to choke out.
He dropped my hand, but neither one of us moved for a second. It was then that I realized how close he was standing to me. His cologne surrounded me, and I inhaled the scent of him – sharp, clean and musky. If it were possible to wrap myself in that scent and fuck it, I would have because it was so damn intoxicating. Jude Calloway was everything the magazines had made him out to be, and more. So much more.
“There you are, sugar,” my mom's voice rang out, shrill and slurred.
I cringed as she wrapped her arms around Jude's waist, her body melting against his as she pulled him into her. I could have been wrong, but he seemed a little mortified by her condition. I mouthed, “She's your problem now,” to Jude and made my way to the dance floor with Talia.
“That seemed to go well,” Talia said, sidling up to me.
“Yeah, I think he's the nicest husband she's had so far,” I said.
“Even nicer than number three?” Talia asked, cackling as I rolled my eyes.
“God, yes. But that's a low bar to clear since number three was a complete and utter asshole,” I said.
I shuddered thinking back on mom's third husband – Ralph Stanley was his name. Seemed like a nice enough guy. At first, anyway. He was a bit dowdy, especially for someone like my mother, but closer to her in age, which was a plus in my book.
For a while, I actually thought it might work out between them. That thought quickly died on the vine when he grabbed my ass at Thanksgiving. My first Thanksgiving break from college, and he'd had a little too much to drink. Tried to claim I looked like my mom and that it had been a mistake, but neither of us was buying it.
They'd been married long enough anyway, so my mom kissed his ass goodbye and moved on to number four within a few months. I wasn't sure if Jude knew how many others had come before him but judging by the way he looked at my mom, I don't think he cared. About anything.
To me, he didn't have that look in his eye a man gets when he's in love. Then again, what did I know? Not like a man had ever looked at me like that either. Maybe Jude just hid his emotions well. Maybe he wasn't an overly-demonstrative person, preferring to keep his public and private personas different. Maybe, behind closed doors, he was mushy and sentimental. Hell, I had no idea.
I turned back toward Talia on the dance floor, ignoring my mom and her new hubby in the corner, and found myself face-to-face with Nathanial. The music switched from an upbeat dance song to a slower, romantic song. Talia rolled her eyes, groaning dramatically, and headed for the tables. I was about to follow her when Nathanial put a gentle hand on my arm and stopped me.
“Dance with me?” he said.
I'd never met the man before, but I knew a little bit about him. He had a sweet smile and a sense of genuineness about him. He also wasn't too tough on the eyes in his tux, with his rugged good looks, shaggy reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes, with just the tiniest hint of green mixed in with gold.
“Sure,” I said, taking his hand. “I'm Ember, by the way.”
“I know who you are,” he laughed, putting a hand on my waist as he led me to the dance floor. “I'm Nathanial.”
“And I know who you are too,” I said.
“Oh really?” He cocked an eyebrow.
“Yep. I've done my research on Jude and his merry band of business partners-slash-besties,” I teased. I batted my eyelashes up at him, giving him a coy grin. “You're the youngest of the group by a couple years but graduated at the top of your class alongside Jude. Some call you a genius.”
“Do you believe everything you read on the Internet?” he asked.
He laughed as he twirled me around the dance floor. Apparently Nathanial knew how to dance, and he led very well.
“Only the good stuff,” I said.
My hands rested along his shoulders, and I ran my fingernails across the back of his neck. He shuddered, his eyes flickering as his grin grew wider. Leaning in closer, and standing up tall on my tip-toes, I whispered in his ear.
“Maybe you should set the record straight then, Mr. Roberts?” I said, my tone seductive. “Maybe, somewhere a little more – private?”
“I'd love to,” he said, his voice coming out as a deep purr. Then his eyes opened and that smile was gone. “I mean, I would, if you weren't my best friend's stepdaughter and all.”
I pouted. “Ahh, so I'm off-limits, huh?”
“Afraid so,” he said, twirling me around. “But doesn't mean we can't have a little innocent fun on the dance floor.”
“I am having a good time,” I said, inching myself closer to his body, although the disappointment washed through me.
“Good. A pretty girl like you should always have a good time,” he said.
Chapter Two
Jude
“How was the honeymoon?” Ember asked, looking up from the couch in the formal living room. “Wait, never mind, I don't want to know what you guys did. I'll never be able to get the image out of my head.”
“The Maldives are amazing this time of year, dear,” Lydia said, cooing happily as she glided past me and into the room with her daughter.
“It was nice,” I said.
The Maldives wouldn't have been my choice, but Lydia had insisted on it. She came back to Chicago tanned and relaxed, flopping down on the sofa next to Ember, who smiled at me. Her feet were curled up underneath her, and she looked rather cozy on m
y sofa.
“Thanks for letting me crash at your place,” I said.
“Of course,” I replied. “We're family now. My home is now your home.”
Still, I stood in the doorway awkwardly, not sure where to sit in my own home. Lydia's penthouse downtown was on the market since I had this home in Forest Glen, and a condo downtown as it was. Our family only needed so many homes in Chicago.
Family. Heh. Saying that still felt incredibly weird. Especially since this “family” came with a grown-up daughter who could easily pass for my girlfriend, given the relatively minor age difference between us.
She went to school at Agnes Bouvier University, a private all-female college on the outskirts of Chicago. It was a premier liberal arts and science college that had an impressive history. When Lydia first mentioned she had a daughter at ABU, I assumed she was a quiet, bookish type. The typical nerdy girl. Instead, she was – well – Ember. Nothing quiet, bookish, or nerdy about her.
Ember's auburn hair cascaded around her shoulders like liquid fire. It looked hot to the touch, trailing along the pale coolness of her skin. A line of freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, giving her an impish look. While her face appeared young, her body was all woman beneath her sundress. The sweetheart neckline accentuated the full mounds of her breasts, giving a glimpse of heaven without showing too much.
Everything about her was stunning. She was a goddess. The type of women I'd have walked over hot coals to be with.
She was also my stepdaughter – and I was a married man now. I shouldn't be having such thoughts about another woman now, let alone my new wife's daughter.
“Jude?” Lydia said, her head cocked to the side as she grinned up at me. “Are you going to stand there all day? Have a seat. It's your own home for God sake!”
I blinked a few times and gave my head a small shake, forcing myself to come back to reality.
